Protective device



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Patented Aug. 7, 1923.`

UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

` GEORGE R. EoLns, or EvANs'rON, ILLINOIS, AssIeNOR To COOK ELECTRIC COMPANY,

OECHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.

PROTECTIVE DEVICE.

Application filed March 19, 1920, Serial No. 367,192.

r ing coils, or any one of them, so arranged in combination that the device in its entirety may be mounted upon a panel, such a panel accommodating as many of said devices as may be desired.

ForL a better understanding oi my invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings` in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational side View of a plurality of protective devices, embodying my invention, mounted upon a panel., the panel being adapted Jfor disposition on a telephone distributing frame;

Figs. 2, 3 and fl are elevational views of a device embodying my invention;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the other side of the panel shown in Fig. 1 and illustrates the positioning of the terminals on the other side of the board from that shown in thelatter figure: and

Fig. 6 is a plan sectional view taken on the line (in-6 of Fig. 2.

Protective devices of the character designated usually comprise two line terminals from which circuits embodying protective apparatus lead to switchboard terminals, the two sets of terminals usually being positioned on opposite sides of a mounting panel. A number of the protective devices are disposed on each mounting panel and a plurality ot the mounting panels are secured to a distributing frame. In this manner all of the incoming subscribers lines are carried to 'one side of the mounting panel and' are thereby easily accessible whereas the switchboard leads are secured to terminals on the opposite sides of the mounting panel, these latter terminals beingr known as switchboard terminals. y

For purposes of convenience and accessibilit protective means are embodied in each of t e two circuits which are associated with each device, the protective devices for one circuit being positioned on one side of the mounting panel, and the other set of protective devices for another circuit being positioned on the opposite side of said panel.

With the above in mind, kit is apparent that, in order to have both of the line terminals on one side of the panel, and both of the switchboard terminals on the other side of the panel and, at the same time, carrv the circuits therebetween through protective devices situated on opposite sides of the panel, the line side circuits and' the switchboard line circuits must cross each other. Moreover, it must be remembered that all of the apparatus and the circuits are coniined to a comparatively small space. The mounting y panel usually constitutes a ,grounded member, all of said panels being so secured to the distributing frame that the apparatus positioned thereon may be grounded when desired'.

In the past, in connection withdevices of the character. above described, the switchboard circuits have been carried on the grounded panel alongside of the line terminals and conductors, and were, therefore, in dangerous electrical proximity to the latter. Moreover, the crossing point of the two circuits, above referred to, was usually just at the end of the mounting panel where the terminals protruded there-beyond. Both of the above features operated' to decrease the factor of safety, and especially was this true becauseofv the small space available for the mountingr of the circuits, and the consequent proximity of the line terminals and switchboard terminals.

One obiect of my invention is to provide a protective device comprising, as a portion thereof, a grounded' mounting panel, and wherein the Iswitchboard and line circuits are carried across one another without `their being in dangerous electrical proximity. In the furtherance of this obiect I also provide means whereby the switchboard cir-l lprotective device inasmuch as no portion of the switchboard circuits is electrically closer to the line circuits than the latter are to the grounded panel, whereby any disruptive discharge inevitably goes to the grounded panel, and the danger attending the same is thereby eliminated.

As will hereinafter be more fully described, I accomplish the above objects by employing a grounded panel comprising tWo separated plates between which the switchboard circuits are carried. Furthermore, when I hereinafterI refer to line cir cuits it will be understood that l mean the circuits extending from the line terminals to whatever protective devices are employed and, furthermore, that those circuits designated as switchboard circuits comprise the conductors leading from the protective devices to the switchboard terminals. lilith this distinction in mind, the herein after description discloses improved means for carrying one of the circuits across the other circuit without their being positioned in dangerous electrical proximity.

An incidental result of my invention is the extreme simplicity of the terminal arrangement whereby the circuits, an apparatus'. for each of them, are easily identified and accessible for the purpose of repair.

ln, the hereinafter description, for the piu'pose of illustration, many features are discussed which have been more specifically described and claimed in the co-pending application of Roy G. Sands, Serial l'lo. 300,435, filed May 2S, 1919, and assigned to Frank B. Cook Company, and referenctu should be made thereto for a fuller understandingl of such features as will hereinafter be identified therewith, these features form- `ing no part of. the present invention but their description herein being essential for a complete understanding of my improved protective device.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, a mounting plate l, comprising two diverging plates 2 and E fastened together by alipropriate bolts d, is shown. Portions of the plates 2 and Z3 are up-set to constitute raised lugs 5 and G. rl `he plates are also provided with screw-holes T, 8 and 9 and apertures 10.

Referring now to Fig. 2, in connection with Fig. 1, a protect-ive device comprises line terminals 11 and l2 and switchboard terminals 13 and lei, one circuit extending between the terminals 11 and 13 and another circuit extending between the terminals l2 and 14. Positioned between the two terminals and in cach circuit, are protective devices comprising fuses and 1G, lighting arrester-blocks 17 and 1S, and heating coils 19 and 20. rlhe heating coil 20 is shown after having operated to ground the circuit associated therewith` whereas the coil 19 is shown in its normal position. For further details regarding the construction of this portion of the protective device, reference should be had to the above identified co- 'pending application.

ln the ensuing description and claims I have 'frequently employed the terms topf la/ottoni, l"upwardly.77 downwardlyf etc. when referring to the various portions of the protective device, and the circuits thereof. l. wish it to be distinctly understood, however, that such terms are used only in an illustrative sense and are definite only in connection with the manner in which the .ti are positioned on the drawing. ln actual practice and installation, these terms are not, of course, accurate, inasmuch as the devices and the mounting panel occupy different positions from those shown in the` drawings.

Beginning new with the line terminal 11, the circuit therefrom may oe traced through a strip conduct-or provided with an L shaped portion 22, having therein a clip to accommodate one end of the fuse 15. From the other end of the fuse l5 the circuit leads through another strip conductor 23 which is soldered at its lower end to a conductor 24, the last named conductor being in electrical contact with another conducting member Q5 which operates to hold the carbon blocks 1T against the plate 2 and between the lugs 5 and C. rllhence the circuit passes through the heating coil 19 and downwardly along a strip conductor 25, the latter being attached electrically to what may be termed a switchboard circuit tern'iinating at the switchboard terminal lil. lt will be observed that the circuit or conductor 2T passes through one of the apertures 1U and extends downwarrflly between the two plates and 3.

irpiiroprii-te insulating blocks are interposed between the *arious circuits which I have described. but they will not, in order to proniote the simplicity to the illustration, be identilied by reference numerals. lt will be observed. however, that at the bottom portion of the device, or at the edges of the diverging plates, bolts QS and 29 have attached to their inner ends small lugs l() and respectively. and that adapted to abut thercagainst are lugs 32 and 33 attached to the inner ends of bolts A and 35. This particular construction is of advantage in that it secures the requisite number of insulating blocks between the desired strip conductors and at the same time provides means whereby the plates i2 and are restrained in a separated position.

Referring now to the circuit extending from the other line terminal 12. it is apparentl that, if protective devices are to be situated between this terminal and the terminal lll, and moreover, if said protective devices are to be positioned upon the other side of the grounded panel 1, the circuit leading i led through the required protective devicesfrom the terminal 12 must cross to the other side of the mounting panel, where it can be and thereafter `come to the proper switchboard terminal 141.` i i As above pointed out, in all of the former devices ot this character, so far as I am aware, the two circuits crossed at the/bottom of the mounting panel, and in dangerous electrical proximity to each other and, moveover, the line and switchboard circuits were carried side by side along both sides oi' saidpanel.` I eliminate the difficulties and danger incident to this former practice'by carrying the circuit starting at the line terminal 12 through an insulat-ing bushing, which extends from theouter side of the plate Z toy the cute1 side of the plate 3. The speciiic construction ot a bushing 36 of this character may be understood by reference to the sectional view of Fig. 6 taken in connection with the showing of Fig. 2. As illustrated in these figures, the circuit from 12 is carried 'upwardly on a conducting strip 37 which terminates at one end of the bushing 36 and is electrically carried through the bushing 36 by a bolt 39, the latter also serving to secure the plates and 3 in the desired relation, At the 'outer side oi' the plate 3 the circuit is carried downwardly through a strip 40 which is inelectrical contact with another strip having a fuse clip portion 41. The circuit under consideration yis then carried upwardly through the Jfuse 16 and, in an analogous manner to the heretofore described circuit upon the other side ot' the mounting panel, passes through the carbon blocks 18, and the heat coil 20. At the bottom end 42 ot the heat coil spring, is soldered a strip conductor i3 having a Z portion at the upper end thereof whereby it may pass through an aperture `10 in the plate 3 and thence downwardly to the switchboard terminal 14C.

The line terminals 11 and 12 are secured to an insulating slab 44, whereas the switchboard terminals 13 and 141- are positioned in slots 45 anda-6, respectively, ot' an insulat-` ing` block 47. It will be observedy that, by this particular positioning of insulating sheets` additional protective barriers 'are estab-lished between the line terminals and the switchboard terminals.` For purposes of convenience I have designated the terminals l1 and 12 as the line sidey and the terminals 18 and 14 as the switchboard sidej. this being terminology by which they are'designated in the intelligence transmission art.

, Figs. 3 and a illustrate the manner in which my invention may be utilized with devices having a less number of protective elements. In Fig. 3 the heat coils 19 and EZ() are omitted, while in Fig. 4: only the fuses 15 and 16are employed. It will, of

coursenot be necessary in the two Hlatter heures to tracel the circuits through the en b various protective elements. It will be observed, however. that the essential elements of my invention, namely, the non-crossing oi' the two circuits in dangerous electrical proximity, and the substantial enclosure of the switch-board circuits withiny a grounded container such as is formed by the two spaced grounded pates 2 and Sparer embodied therein.

imity to the line circuits in fact the formerV circuits are, at all poins, muchy closer to the grounded plates than to the latter `circuits. Therefore, it there should be a tendency` for a discharge between the twotervminals on opposite sides of the panel the discharge will bedirectly to the grounded plate. Y

It will be apparent to those skilled in i the art that this feature ensuresdistinct advantages and eliminates a great deal of the troub-le which was inherent in the old construction, heretofore described. "Moreover,

it will be `observed that I have eliminatedy ythe crossing of the two circuits at the point where the terminals` vprotrude from the mounting panel.` The construction shown is also advantageous in that the complete sep-- aration oi' the line and switchboard terminals., without a confusing crossing oit the circuits therebetween, makes the identicationot the" various circuits and terminals easy, andr greatly facilitates the installation and repair of connections..

While I have described several embodiments of my invention, ity is apparent that many modifications therein may occur to those skilled the art, but inasmuch as I am the first, so far as I am aware, to provide in a device of the character described,`

Having thus described my inventioinwhat I claim to be new and desire to obtainby Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, line terminals and switchboard. terminals, circuits there-between embodying protective apparatus, and a. panel comprisingspaced walls, ,thecircuitsfrom said protective apand line terminals on the other side thereof, through said conduit to the other side of circuits extending therebetween, protective said panel, through the protective devices devices for said circuits mounted on both 0n said last panel side, and between said sides of said panel, and a conduit extending plates to another switchboard terminal. 5 through said plates, one circuit extending In Witness whereof, l have hereunto sub- 15 `from one of said line terminals through the scribed my name.

protectivel devices onvone side of said panel GEGRGE R. FOLDS. i and then between said plates to one of said Witnesses: switchboard terminals, and another circuit J. C. BOGLE,

1o extending from another line terminalA R. GRAWOIG. 

